Undoubtedly convinced that New Yorkers suffer from a serious lack of short term memory, it looks like disgraced former Congressman Vito Fossella is eyeing a return to his former House seat on Staten Island:
Former Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.), who opted not to seek re-election in 2008 after a DWI arrest exposed the married father of three as having a second family in Virginia, is seriously considering entering the race for his old seat, POLITICO has learned.
According to sources familiar with his thinking, in recent weeks Fossella has been weighing a run for the seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Mike McMahon, with the kickoff for ballot petitions fast approaching and the political climate unsettled nationwide.
One has to imagine that the GOP, both in New York and in Washington, is not entirely thrilled in this development. McMahon's ancestrally Republican seat (carried by both George W. Bush in 2004 and John McCain in 2008) would appear to be an ideal pick-up opportunity in the current political environment. Plus, the GOP already has a pair of potentially legitimate contenders in former Bloomberg aide Michael Allegretti and former FBI agent Mike Grimm, both of whom have raised over $400K for their bids. A three-way primary could conceivably bring Fossella limping home with 40% of the primary vote.
But what a general election campaign it could be.
How can you not succeed with a campaign slogan like "Twice the family...twice the values"?